Gemini
by Naki
Summary: Post-Kikaider 01 Ch. 6: the return of Kikaider!
1. Default Chapter

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

  


By : Naki

  
  


Chapter One

  
  
  
  


The hammering of moderate rainfall against the windowsill caught the attention of a certain young boy who was sitting at his dining room table doing homework.

He looked up from his notebook and stared out the window. He frowned and made his way over to the large picture window in between the kitchen and the living room. There was a cushioned bench placed in front of the large window with blue drapes, and the bench seemed to beckon the boy over to it.

Masaru Komyoji climbed up on the bench and sat up on his knees. He stared out the window with a depressed look on his face. He rested his chin on the heel of his hand and rested his elbow on the back of the bench.

"Why does it hafta rain so much?" He complained loudly. He didn't hear his sister walk into the room.

"Because it does," Mitsuko Komyoji answered. She walked up behind him.

"But it rains _too_ much," Masaru said. "If it didn't rain so much, I'd be outside right now, instead of being stuck in here."

"It's because it's spring," Mitskuo put her hands on her brother's shoulders. "That's why it's raining so much. Now, go finish your homework."

Mitsuko left the room and Masaru made a face at her retreating back. He turned back to the window, wishing he could go outside. He sat there and sulked a bit before a furry, four-legged friend jumped into his lap.

The cat was black with a white nose, white stomach, and white paws. The cat purred as Masaru stroked his back.

"Hey Shadow," he said. shadow sniffed the windowpane and attacked the glass with his front paws as if trying to get at the raindrops that beaded across the window. Masaru sat there, on the bench, watching his cat play.

_Well,_ he thought, _at least someonw thinks the rain's fun._

He vaguely heard footsteps clicking down the wooden floor of the hallway. Mitsuko reentered the kitchen. She saw her brother still sitting by the window instead of doing what she'd asked him to do.

"Masaru," she said with a warning edge on her voice.

"Okay, okay, I'll do my homework," he grumbled, letting the cat down and trudging over to his seat at the dining room table. He picked up his pencil and tried valiantly to concentrate on his math.

Mitsuko stood at the sink and was peeling potatoes for dinner when she heard him slam his book closed with a sound of frustration. Maybe the rain wasn't the only thing on his mind after all...

She placed a peeled potato into a pot she had sitting next to her on the counter and put the vegetable peeler next to the sink. She turned to face Masaru. He still sat at the table, but with sour, almost sad, looks on his face.

Mitsuko shook her head a bit, almost to herself. "Masaru," she said, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," came his terse reply. He looked past Mitsuko and glared daggers at the wall behind the sink.

"I don't believe you," she said and pulled out the chair right across from Masaru and sat in it. "Come on, Masaru. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on inside that head of yours." When he didn't say anything, she continued. "It's not just the rain, is it?"

Masaru frowned and looked genuinely sad. "No..." he muttered.

"Then what is it?" Mitsuko hated to prod, but she knew from experience that any emotion or problem, not matter how trivial, if kept bottled up inside, would lead to an even greater problem. Her only guess was that Masaru's problem might have been founded by the onset of puberty. In actuality, his answer came as a total surprise to her.

"When is Jiro-niichan coming back?" He demanded. "You said that he promised to come back and that was a year ago! When's he coming back, Mitsuko-neechan? When?" Tears found their way out of his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.

Mitsuko hated to see her little brother cry. She stood, walked around the table, squatted down and hugged him. She ran her hands through his black hair in an attempt to soothe him. "I don't know," she said finally. "I really don't know, Masaru. I'd like to think that he'd come walking up to the front door right now, but I know that's likely not going to happen."

"What not?" Masaru asked. He pulled himself free from his sister's grasp and looked her in the face. "Why wouldn't he come back to us?"

"Maybe he thinks he'd put us in danger," Mitsuko answered, returning to the sink. "You know how prone to trouble Jiro is." She winced inwardly; both at the sound of her own voice, so thick with fake joy, and the sound of Jiro's name as it left her lips. She missed him so much that the mere thought of him made her want to cry, but the sound of his name almost made her break down into tears right there in the kitchen. It wasn't often that Mitsuko let her emotions slip like that. She was grateful that her back was to Masaru; she didn't want to have to explain the sequence of expressions that passed over her face. Mitsuko knew that she would practically give anything to hear the sound of Jiro's voice, to see him smile, or to have him in the same room with her. She dropped the vegetable peeler in the sink when she reached the conclusion that she was to off-focus to even peel potatoes. She hung her head.

"Masaru," she said, not turning to him. "Could you...could you please finish peeling the potatoes for me? I'm not feeling very well righ tnow, so I'm going to lie down for a little while, okay?" She shuffled out and down the hall. Masaru could hear her slowly make her way up the stairs. He felt somewhat guilty as he started to peel the potatoes.

"I'm sorry, Mitsuko-neechan," he said aloud to himself. "I'm sorry for bringing up Jiro-niichan. I know he meant more to you than he did to the rest of us. I'm sorry for making you sad..."

  


-- -- --

  


By the time Mitsuko made it to her bedroom she was crying so hard she could barely see in focus. Once in her room she simply swung the door closed and collapsed on her bed. She buried her face in her pillow.

She cried even though it felt foreign to her to allow herself to cry this much. After a while the tears tapered off, leaving her shoulders heaving.

Mitsuko eventually calmed down, but she remained on her bed, lying on her side. She stared blankly out her bedroom window, lost in her own thoughts.

She wondered if Jiro had ever managed to stop Gill. Well, it seemed he had, considering there was no more weird accients or trouble of that sort on the news anymore. She wondered if Jiro was still alive...well, as alive as he could get. As she reflected back on their times together, good and bad, she lost track of time. It seemed all to soon when she was startled back into reality by a timid knock on her door.

"Mitsuko-neechan?" It was her brother. His voice sounded muffled through the door.

"Yes Masaru?"

"I'm finished with the potatoes." This announcement was followed by a short silence. "Are you feeling better?"

Mitsuko sat up. "Yes, I am, Masaru. I'm feeling much better."

"Good." For a brief moment, Mitsuko thought Masaru was going to mention you-know-who again. She braced herself. Instead, he said, "I'm hungry."

Mitsuko stood and walked into her bathroom. She turned on the light and assessed herself by looking in the mirror over the sink. In her opinion she looked horrible. She had never been a fan of long hair, but hers had grown out to the point that it was long enough to be pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were still red and puffy. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water on her face. She hung her head over the sink and watched the dripping water fall back onto the white porcelain.

All of a sudden something brushed up against her leg. Mitsuko screeched and fell backwards into the wall behind her. She held her chest with a hand and tried to get her breathing under control when she heard a long string of contented purrs. She looked over and saw the family cat sitting on the toilet seat cover looking at her. "Oh, it's just you, Shadow," Mitsuko patted the cat's head with a slightly shaking hand.

Shadow nuzzled her hand with his face and playfully batted at it as Mitsuko drew her hand back.

She heard Masaru calling the cat through the air vent in the floor of the bathroom next to the door. The cat meowed and jumped off the toilet seat cover and the tiny jingle bell on the collar around his neck jingled continuously with each move the cat made. Shadow stopped at the closed bedroom door, sat, and turned his head to look at Mitsuko.

She smiled a bit as she turned off the bathroom light. Shadow was giving her the type of wide-eyed stare that only cats can manage. She opened the door and the cat hurried out, his collar jingling all the way down the hall and down the stairs.

_Well,_ Mitsuko thought, _I might as well go start dinner before Masaru starts complaining again..._

  


-- -- --

  


Morning came as it usually came: dark, cold, and lonely. This was how it was and she was used to it. No shame in being a creature of habit.

Mitsuko opened her eyes and rolled over to check the time on her alarm clock. Arg. The clock read six-thirty. She really didn't have a set time that she inadvertently woke up every morning, but it was usually sometime around six.

Mitsuko felt unusually exhausted this morning so she rolled back over and closed her eyes. She lay there for what seemed like a good while but sleep eluded her. Rolling over she checked the clock again. Six forty-five. She groaned softly when she realized that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep this morning.

She sat up, yawned, and kicked the sheets off. Standing she staggered into the bathroom for a shower. She felt around for the light switch and when she found it, she nearly blinded herself by turning on the light. Rubbing her eyes and walking up to the mirror, Mitsuko gave her reflection a cynical look. Her dark hair stuck out in almost every direction. Seeing as bed hair isn't the most attractive thing in the world and she needed to brush the tangles out for her shower anyway, Mitsuko picked up her hairbrush and began to brush her hair.

After getting out the tangles and one particularly stubborn rat's nest, she decided she looked halfway decent and began to run water in the tub for her shower.

  


The warm shower water almost made her want to go crawl back into bed again. Oh well. Mitsuko yawned as she lathered her hair with shampoo.

As she let the conditioner set in her hair, she let her mind wander.

Amazingly her father had not only made a full recovery, but a speedy one, too. Already he was out of town, seeking prospective jobs. It was just yesterday afternoon he phoned that a university in the city wanted to hire him to teach robotics courses. Mitsuko doubted that teaching was her father's strong suit, and as he readily agreed with her, he was willing to give it a try. He was due back home either today or tomorrow, Mitsuko couldn't remember which. She wrapped a towel about herself as she stepped out of the shower. As she dried her hair and brushed it out, she though about the day's agenda.

First she'll go downstairs and start making coffee so she should wake up completely. Then came the task of dragging Masaru out of bed. Her father hadn't been kind to the idea of Masaru attending a public school, but he gave in when Mitsuko kept insisting that Masaru needed to be around children his own age.

Once dressed Mitsuko made her way downstairs quietly and into the kitchen. Just as she entered and turned on the light, the coffee maker kicked on and began to percolate. Just like every morning, the coffee maker was set to turn on at seven.

Mitsuko sat down at the kitchen table as she waited for the coffee to brew. Her eyes drifted over to the calendar that was stuck to the front of the fridge with several brightly colored magnets. Masaru had taken to crossing out every square at the end of each day. Mitsuko's eyes slid from the last red X to the adjacent square. Then it hit her. The day was Saturday. Masaru didn't have school today. Well then, that was one less thing she had to do this morning.

Coffee mug in hand, Mitsuko opened the front door and leaned against the doorframe. If she weren't still half-asleep, she would have fully enjoyed the cool dawn air. She couldn't see the sun rising over the horizon because of all the trees that surrounded her home, but the sky lightened gradually and gave the trees a slightly dusty appearance in the early morning fog.

She barely heard the jingle as the cat sped out the open door. Mitsuko saw the tiny black blur disappear off the porch and into the trees before she could react. Grumbling to herself she placed her coffee mug on the porch and, after slipping on a pair of shoes that were sitting just inside the door, she followed the cat.

Mitsuko picked her way carefully through the undergrowth, calling the cat's name and listening for the tell-tale jingle of the collar. She actually heard the jingle faintly and followed it. She came to a small clearing and said, "Shadow, come here..." The last word tapered off when she saw a man standing there, with his back to her. He held the cat in his arms and Mitsuko could see the cat's tail flick lazily over the man's shoulder. From what she could tell in the semi-dim light the man was wearing blue pants and a blue jacket or shirt, she couldn't tell which.

The man's head turned at the sound of her voice. He smiled and let the cat go. "Mitsuko?" he asked.

She gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Jiro!" She ran up and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

He slung his arms around her, letting them hang there loosely. "It's good to see you too, Mitsuko." He felt her shoulders shake. _Wait...is she crying?_

Jiro stepped away from her, a feeling of panic rising in him. _What have I done now?_ He looked at Mitsuko's face and found tears streaming down her cheeks. This saddened him even though she wore a smile.

"You're crying," he said. "What have I done wrong to make you cry?"

To his surprise she laughed. "Jiro, I'm not sad. Not all tears are bad. I'm crying because I'm happy."

Now he was thoroughly confused. This showed on his face to a great extent; Mitsuko swore she could almost see a question mark floating above his head.

"People cry when they are very sad, but they can also cry when they are very happy. Do you understand?"

Jiro appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. As long as I know you're happy and not sad."

Although she rarely acted on impulse, Mitsuko looped her arm around his and began to lead them back to the house. Shadow appeared from the undergrowth, meowed, and rubbed up against Jiro's leg. He bent over and scooped the cat up with his free arm.

"That's Shadow. He's Masaru's," Mitsuko said.

"I know," Jiro answered. "It says so on the tag."

Shadow purred and attempted to bat playfully at the goggles Jiro wore.

"Speaking of which," Mitsuko said as the approached the front steps. "Masaru's going to go ape when he sees you. He was asking about you just last night."

Again came the confused look. "Go ape? Masaru is going to turn into an ape?"

"Oh, it's just a figure of speech," Mitsuko laughed, closing the front door behind them. "I wasn't being literal. It means he's going to be very excited."

Jiro nodded and sat down on the couch and ran his hand along the cat's back. Mitsuko disappeared into the kitchen with her coffee mug so she could get a fresh cup of coffee. Jiro relaxed as the cat purred louder. It felt good to be home. Which is why what happened next didn't surprise him in the least.

The door that led into the hallway opened slowly with a creak. He looked over at the door. There was a brief moment of stunned silence followed quickly by an excited shout that could have easily raised the dead. Well, it sure did scare the cat, which hissed and sprung off his lap.

"Jiro-niichan!"


	2. Chapter Two

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

  


By : Naki

  
  


Chapter Two

  
  
  
  


While Masaru didn't "go ape" at seeing Jiro, he was ecstatic all the same. He demonstrated this by latching onto him. Literally. He grabbed onto Jiro's arm and refused to let go. He sat on the couch next to his favorite guy in the world and ran at the mouth by telling Jiro of all his exploits in the past year they've been apart. Jiro couldn't get a word in edgeways.

Upon finishing his long narrative, Masaru looked Jiro in the eye with a serious face. "Jiro-niichan?"

Jiro gave him a small smile. "Hm?"

"Will you promise never to leave us again?"

Jiro managed to keep the smile on his face but his eyes betrayed the shock he felt. He hadn't expected Masaru to ask that of him, especially after all that happened. In the past Jiro had felt it was his duty to protect Mitsuko and Masaru, not only because they were the biological children of his creator, but also because he cared deeply for both of them. He knew he was a magnet for trouble that was often in the form of what humans would refer to as "monsters" just because he was "Kikaider." Even after all the trouble, fear, and the near-death experiences, Masaru still wanted him around?

What about Mitsuko? Where did she stand on this issue? Jiro thought back to earlier when she ran up and hugged him. Maybe her happiness at seeing him was going to be a temporary feeling and she would want him to leave? Somehow Jiro doubted that; it wasn't in Mitsuko's character to be cold like that.

"Jiro-niichan?" Masaru asked, ripping Jiro from his thoughts. He gazed into the boy's anxious face.

_Darn my conscience circuit…_ Jiro smiled and ruffled Masaru's hair. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best."

"Yay!" Masaru flung himself at Jiro, hugging the android around the neck tightly. "Thank you, Jiro-niichan!"

A sudden brief flash of light startled them. Mitsuko stood in the doorway across the room with a camera in her hand. She smiled. "Now that was a Kodak moment."

Masaru looked at her and blinked. "Mitsuko-neechan, where did you get the camera?"

She sat down in the chair across the coffee table from them. "I've had it for a couple of years and just found it. I hope this film is still good because that's going to make a great photo!"

"Mitsuko-neechan, what are we going to do today?"

Mitsuko shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I hadn't really planned on anything. Tou-san's supposed to call later, I think."

Masaru scrunched his face up in thought, slid off the couch and ran over to the window. He pulled the brown drapes open, allowing sunlight in. Masaru squinted as he observed outside. He smiled. "Hey! It's not raining anymore. Can I go outside, Mitsuko-neechan?"

Mitsuko had turned around in her chair. "You can after you get dressed, Masaru."

"Okay!" On his way to his bedroom, Masaru stopped and tugged on Jiro's arm. "Will you come outside and play with me, Jiro-niichan?"

Jiro looked to Mitsuko, who nodded. He turned to Masaru. "Okay."

"Good." Masaru ran out of the room. As he left he called back, "I'll teach you how to play soccer!"

Jiro cocked an eyebrow at Mitsuko. "What's soccer?"

Mitsuko got up from her seat to sit by him. She left her camera on the arm of the chair she vacated. "Soccer is a sport, Jiro. Masaru's become very interested in sports since he started public school. He's very competitive, too. He also likes baseball, but I think he likes soccer the most." She shifted so she could look him in the face. "Jiro, this is very important. When Masaru teaches you this game and you play with him, you have to remember to control your strength. I don't want you to hurt Masaru on accident."

Jiro nodded. "I understand. How do you play this...sport?"

"Let Masaru tell you that. I'm not about to steal his thunder."

That was another phrase Jiro didn't know if he should take seriously or if it was just another "figure of speech." As he went to ask about it, he noticed for the first time, and he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before (it was so obvious!) that Mitsuko had...long hair. He reached out his hand and lightly touched her hair. Mitsuko froze and her shoulders tensed up and she shivered. This alarmed Jiro and he pulled his hand back.

"I'm sorry," he stammered.

Mitsuko's shoulders relaxed. She looked at Jiro. "No, no, you did nothing wrong, Jiro. You just...caught me by surprise, that's all."

"Your hair is long."

Mitsuko fought back the urge to say, "You just noticed?" Instead she made a face and twirled a lock of her hair around her index finger. "It's not _that_ long, but I hate it. I'm going to get it cut short as soon as I can."

"Don't." Mitsuko turned to Jiro in surprise when he said that. "I like it. Don't cut your hair. Let it grow."

Mitsuko's face reddened a bit and she smiled shyly. She suddenly felt like a schoolgirl that had just been complimented by her secret crush. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"It's not often that someone compliments me."

_Really?_ Jiro thought in disbelief. _How can people not compliment you?_ As he went to say this Masaru burst into the room, t-shirt, blue jeans, sneakers on with a large black and white ball in his hands.

"I'm ready, Jiro-niichan! Let's go!" Holding the ball between his elbow and his hip, Masaru grabbed Jiro's hand and attempted to haul him up.

Jiro stood and allowed Masaru to lead him outside.

  


-- -- --

  


It didn't take Jiro long to learn and fully comprehend soccer. Soon he was blocking every shot Masaru sent his way.

After about an hour and a half, Masaru plopped down on the lawn. He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I think I'm ready to go inside now, Jiro-niichan."

"Are you all right?" Jiro asked, standing over him with the soccer ball in his hands.

Masaru looked up at Jiro and squinted against the bright sunlight. He pulled himself up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. Let's go inside where it's nice and cool."

Once inside Masaru abandoned Jiro at the front door when he went into the kitchen for something to drink. Jiro wandered into the living room where he found Mitsuko reading a book on the couch. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Am I disturbing you?"

She shook her head. "No, of course not. I was just killing time."

Jiro stood there and gave Mitsuko his famous confused-as-hell look that made his face scrunch and one eyebrow pop up. Mitsuko thought it made him look unbelievably cute.

"Please tell me that 'killing time' is another one of your 'figures of speech.' I don't think that's possible."

Mitsuko attempted to stifle her laugh as she set her book on the coffee table and failed miserably. Jiro continued to look at her only this time his confused look was replaced by a slightly offended expression.

"Did I say something amusing?" There was an edge to his voice.

Mitsuko lost her smile. "I'm sorry, Jiro. I shouldn't laugh at things you don't understand. That's my mistake. I'm sorry."

Jiro's face went from offended to slightly confused. _Why is she apologizing? I wasn't really upset. It was just a reaction._ He thought about this briefly. The reaction was one he had picked up somewhere, a reaction to being mocked or not taken seriously. _But if I didn't really feel insulted or angry, then I misused the reaction. But Mitsuko thought she was inadvertently making fun of me, assumed from my "reaction" that I was offended, and apologized. But I really wasn't offended, but she thought I was because of the way I reacted, so..._ His eyes fell. _I guess that makes me a deceiver! ...or a really good actor..._ He added as an afterthought.

"Jiro?"

He came whirling back into reality to see Mitsuko giving him a strange look. "Huh?"

It was her turn to look indignant. "Oh, so now you're not even listening to what I say? I just apologized!"

"Sorry," Jiro said hurriedly. "I heard you and...you don't need to be sorry so don't worry about it." Mitsuko patted the cushion next to her and told him to come sit by her. He complied. As he sat down he said, "Besides, I was lost in thought."

"Oh," she said in a high tone of exaggerated understanding. "Unfamiliar territory?"

Jiro caught on immediately. He turned to face her and pointed his index finger at her. "That was _so_ cold! What's with you, anyway?"

As Mitsuko busted out laughing, Jiro dropped his head and hid his face in his hands. He listened as the young woman next to him went on to say, "I wasn't expecting that kind of response at all! That's just not like you."

_Great,_ he thought sarcastically, _I'm starting to act like Ichiro._ As soon as he thought that, he felt sad. A feeling that was equivalent to his heart falling down out of his chest. He faintly heard Mitsuko calling to him and felt her hand on his shoulder. She didn't know about his brothers, so he was going to leave it like that. Far be it for him to cause himself any more pain.

He finally looked up into Mitsuko's worried face and gave what he hoped was a smile that defied his inner turmoil. It wasn't. "I'm sorry, Mitsuko. I'm fine."

"Okay," she said, her tone saying she believed him, her eyes saying she did not. "Where on earth did you pick that response up from?"

Going with his earlier decision , Jiro came up with the next best thing. "From a...a friend."

Mitsuko felt saddened from the grief laid out in his tone and, as he began to rise from the couch, she grabbed hold of his jacket. He was surprised by her actions that he allowed her to gently pull him back into his seat. She slipped her arms around his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. When she spoke her voice quavered. "No. No. Don't go Jiro. Stay with me. I'm sad when you're sad. So let's just comfort each other, okay?"

Jiro silently agreed and wrapped his arms around her and brought her as close as possible without hurting her. He rested his cheek on top of her head. They sat like that a while, each holding the other. A contented smile spread across Jiro's face. He, as he'd heard other's say and was pretty sure was another "figure of speech," was head over heels in love with Mitsuko. He couldn't explain why, but he was certain what he felt towards her was beyond the simple caring he had initially felt for her in the beginning.

The only problem was, because he knew he loved her (and consequently would do anything for her,) he had no idea how to act on his feelings. This wasn't a department he was well versed in.

He contemplated this as he scanned his main memory processor. _Well,_ he thought as the proverbial light bulb clicked on. _I do know one thing..._ He heard movement upstairs, and deduced that was where Masaru had disappeared. _Better make this quick._

He gently pushed Mitsuko away but kept her at arm's length with his hands on her shoulders. She protested by saying his name. She quieted at his smile.

"I have to do something very important," he said. Before she could query him, he leaned over and kissed her. Her initial shock wore off, but just as she was beginning to enjoy it he pulled away. She looked up and in his eyes was a feeling so intense she felt a little...she couldn't explain it, but the best word she could come up with on the spot was...crowded. She knew Jiro was fully capable of experiencing and understanding feelings such as love, but she wasn't aware that his feelings could get so intense.

"I love you, Mitsuko."

Her instinctive reaction was to sit there wide-eyed with a look of shock on her face. She did so, but only momentarily. The next thing she did was such a conflict of personality that it sent Jiro's mind reeling into next week in surprise. She tackled him with such force that he toppled over; the arm of the couch pressed into the middle of his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave a smile so big that Jiro swore the room got a little brighter.

Mitsuko kissed him back, giving herself enough time to fully enjoy the new sensation. Contrary to the rest of him, Jiro's lips were soft. Very soft. As she pulled away to breathe, she smiled again. "I love you, too."

As luck, (or timing, you choose,) would have it, Masaru chose this particular moment to open the door. "Hey, Mitsuko-neechan, have you seen..." He froze at the sight of the two of them in their current compromising position. In shock he slammed the door with a shout.

Mitsuko slid off Jiro looking incredibly embarrassed. _Next will come the questions and endless chattering about marriage and the name of the firstborn child..._

"Mitsuko...?" Jiro put a hand on her shoulder and she responded by moving into his embrace.

"Do you mean it?" Came Mitsuko's voice, soft and scared.

"Of course," Jiro replied. Mitsuko snuggled tightly against him. 

"Good," she replied, not wanting to move. "So do I."

It was at that moment the phone decided to ring.


	3. Chapter Three

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

  


By : Naki

  
  


Chapter Three

  
  
  
  


As Mitsuko rose to answer the phone in the kitchen, Jiro was left alone on the couch. He stretched out on his back and a rare smile graced his face. This feeling...he couldn't explain it but it made him feel so good inside. The door that led into the hallway creaked open slowly and Masaru cautiously sidled in. He watched Jiro from the corners of his eyes as he made his way over to the chair across from the couch.

Jiro sat up as Masaru sat down. Jiro shifted uneasily. _Why is he glaring at me?_

Masaru wasn't sure what to think. He had just walked in and caught the two of them kissing. If it had been any other guy, Masaru would have been insanely jealous. But this was Jiro...maybe if Jiro liked his sister enough he wouldn't leave no matter what.

Masaru smiled at Jiro, catching the android by surprise. "Don't look so worried, Jiro-niichan. I'll make sure to knock on the door next time."

Jiro seemed to understand that being in a situation like the one he and Mitsuko were just in was considered inappropriate for those of Masaru's age. He relaxed a bit and it showed on his face.

"Hold on," Masaru's face was about as serious as he could get it. "I'm not through with you yet, buster."

_ Buster?_

"About my sister," the boy went on, not skipping a beat, "you'd better be good to her. Do you love her?"

Jiro looked to the floor and then back up to Masaru. "I'm not sure I truly understand what all love is but being with Mitsuko makes me feel good inside."

Masaru smiled. He liked where this was going. Oh yeah.

Jiro continued with his usual curious questions and the look to match. "What makes you feel good inside, Masaru?"

The boy looked thoughtful. "Mmm..." he said after a moment. "I think it would have to be...chocolate ice cream!"

Up popped the eyebrow and Masaru could practically hear the gears turning in Jiro's head. "Chocolate ice cream?"

Jiro fell silent as he tried to find a way to relate Mitsuko to chocolate ice cream. He failed miserably. _Well, as they say, to each his own..._ He told himself to ask Mitsuko about it later.

Speaking of which she walked into the room looking, in so many words, displeased. Masaru knew this look all too well and knew to avoid his sister when she was in this particular mood. Not asking about the caller, Masaru slid off the chair and hightailed it to his bedroom.

Mitsuko sat down next to Jiro heavily. He knew right off that she was in a foul mood. He cautiously slipped his arm around her shoulders. Despite her mood, Mitsuko found herself leaning against him.

"Who was on the phone?" _Darn it! I just_ had _to say something, didn't I?_

Her response was one word, spoken tersely. "Tou-san."

"Is that a bad thing?" _Can't I keep my mouth quiet for once? She doesn't seem like she wants to talk!_

"No," Mitsuko answered, glad to be talking to someone. Someone she knew would listen. "I was glad he called, but...he said it would still be about another week until he can come home. He was invited to speak at some robotics convention on the other side of the country." She looked at him. "Are you planning on staying?"

Jiro could hear the hope in her voice. "As long as your father doesn't try to destroy me again."

"So, does this mean you are enjoying life now?"

"If you can call what I have a 'life.'"

"Fine. Existence. Answer my question."

"So demanding." Jiro said this without the right..."kick" to his voice to make it sound, in a way, sarcastically whiny, but it was still out of character for him. Seeing the questioning amused expression on Mitsuko's face, he checked himself. _I'm doing it again. It seems like Ichiro is coming back to haunt me._ He smiled at her. "With you around, I can enjoy anything."

Mitsuko's amused look turned to one of skepticism. "Right. No one devotes their entire life...sorry, existence, to one person's presence."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Mitsuko paused, searching for the right way to say it, "well, what I'm trying to say is, I want you to enjoy what you have and what is given to you even if I'm not there with you. Because let's face it, I'm not going to be around forever."

Now Jiro looked frightened. He was absolutely terrified, and as this showed on his face, it scared Mitsuko.

"What do you mean you're not going to be here? Are you leaving me?"

Mitsuko mentally slapped herself. This was such a sensitive subject she should have prepared him for it. But there she went and said it without warning.

"What I mean is...is that eventually, in like sixty years or so, if I'm lucky, my body will wear out and I'll die. It's a simple fact of nature."

"Will I die too?"

Mitsuko paused. _Well...oh shoot. How on earth am I going to answer that one?_ She decided to go for it. "Not in the way I was referring to. My body is...organic, biodegradable...and yours is metal. I'm sure yours will eventually give out because all," she didn't want to use the word _machine_ because of all the bad connotations it had with Jiro, "man made things do. But I doubt it will be when I die. I'd bet you will outlive both Masaru and me by a few generations or so."

"You sound so...comfortable with it." Mitsuko noted the slight disgust riding on his voice.

Mitsuko reached up and ran her fingers through his wild black hair. "That's because I've accepted it, Jiro. Whether it be by illness, injury, or old age, I know that some day I will die."

Jiro shook his head violently and grabbed Mitsuko's hands with his own. "I don't like that."

"Who said _I_ did? Just because I've accepted it doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't. It's just one of those things that's going to happen and no one can stop it. Like aging. I will grow old and my appearance will change with age. Not everyone is timeless like you are, Jiro."

By the look on Jiro's face Mitsuko could tell he was angry. Angry at what she didn't know. He rose from the couch and left the room. Mitsuko had an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. She had this feeling he was going to something rash. Or at least attempt to.

Mitsuko jumped as the phone rang again. Wandering into the kitchen she answered it.

"Hello?" She asked, attempting to sound cheerful.

"Is Masaru there?" A friend from school no doubt.

"Yes, just a moment." Mitsuko placed the receiver down on the counter and went into the hallway. "Masaru!" She called from the foot of the stairs. A door opened upstairs with a creak.

"Yes?"

"There's someone on the phone for you."

The door closed and Masaru came to the head of the stairs. "Who is it?"

Mitsuko shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't get a name."

Masaru ran down the stairs and into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Hey."

"Dude, was that your mom who answered the phone?"

"Hey Ryo. No, that was my sister. My mom's dead."

"Whoa. That sucks."

"You're telling me. But now it's no big deal."

Mitsuko stood outside the kitchen smiling to herself. She heard Masaru go on about his awesome "big brother" Jiro, and how he conveniently left out that Jiro wasn't exactly human. Oh well. There were just some things better left unexplained.

Jingle, jingle, jingle...ah, the cat was coming down the stairs. According to the veterinarian, Shadow was still considered a kitten because he was still under a year old. Mitsuko bent down and picked him up. Shadow meowed. Mitsuko stroked his back and remembered when they first got him. It was barely into the new school year at Masaru's first school and a girl in his class told him that her cat had kittens. Masaru came home practically begging to get one. How could Mitsuko refuse? Their father was still recuperating so Mitsuko was still in charge of the household.

Shadow was not only the runt of the litter, but the only one that as different in color. The mother cat was a gray tabby and so all the kittens were gray tabbies. All except Shadow. The odd-ball black and white kitten.

As soon as Shadow was old enough to go home with them, he took to Masaru. He would follow Masaru around the house, but he couldn't get up the stairs by himself. Poor Shadow would just sit at the foot of the stairs and cry until Masaru came back and carried him up. What a pair.

  


-- -- --

  


Mitsuko let the cat down at his food bowl to eat and went to look for Jiro. She found him sitting on the back porch, staring out into the expanse of trees. She knew he knew she was standing behind him, but she didn't know why he hadn't acknowledged her yet.

She sat down next to him. After several failed attempts to get him to respond to her, Mitsuko got an idea. She stood and crouched in front of him, hands on her hips and a mock serious grin on her face.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

This startled Jiro and he came to life. "Uh...no...I mean, I don't think so. What do you mean?"

"It's an old saying when someone's being too quiet and unresponsive. I want to know what's on your mind."

Jiro gave her a small smile, one so very reminiscent of a year ago. A smile that tried to hide his perpetual sense of sadness.

"Mitsuko..." he began. "I realize that what you said about death is truth, because I know you and you wouldn't lie about something like that. I have this feeling that something is going to happen, and I don't want you to get hurt. I want to enjoy the time I have with you."

"What?" she asked, thinking he wanted something.

"I was just looking at you," Jiro answered. He paused and what came out next just slipped out without conscious thought. "Is that a crime?"

Mitsuko stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, and then began to giggle. Jiro hung his head when he realized he'd slipped up and began to unconsciously act like Ichiro again. Part of him wished he'd been around Rei more. Perhaps being quiet is better. He started to rise, but Mitsuko jumped up and pushed on his shoulders, forcing him back onto his backside with such strength that surprised even her.

"I don't think so," Mitsuko said, leaning over him. "You're going to tell me where in the world you picked up that smart alec personality trait."

Jiro turned his face away from her. "I'd rather not."

Mitsuko plopped down on his lap. This surprised him and he involuntarily looked back at her. He saw her determined expression and gave in. "Okay. Look, he was a friend of mine. He was incredibly headstrong and had a big problem with authority."

"So, he just rubbed off on you?"

"Yeah..." he said after a moment. "If that means he affected my personality."

"Yes, it does," Mitsuko said. "Jiro, I don't mean to pressure you, but you disappeared for a year and never got a hold of us. It's natural that I'm curious about where you went, the people you met. But if you're uncomfortable with telling me anything, just say something and I'll understand."

Jiro smiled at the young woman sitting innocently on his lap. "I love you, Mitsuko."

She gave him a small, comforting smile as she leaned in close and rested her forehead against his. "Ditto."

"Ditto?"

"It means the same thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like if you said, 'I'm hungry,' and I was too, I could say, 'Ditto.' It would mean, 'I'm hungry too.' Do you understand?"

Jiro thought for a moment. "So you love me too?"

She nodded. "Yep. You hit the nail on the head."

"I take it I got it right?"

Mitsuko smiled. "Yeah, that's what that means. Exactly right."

Out of the blue, thunder rumbled loudly and caught Mitsuko off-guard. She screeched and got as close to Jiro as she could get.

"Are you okay?" Jiro asked.

"It's going to rain," Mitsuko gasped out.

"I know. It's been overcast for a while now," Jiro commented. "I guess you want to go inside now?"

Mitsuko nodded and climbed off his lap. The sky practically fell out just as they stepped inside.

Masaru appeared in front of them. "Ah man! I heard the thunder, but I didn't think it would actually start raining again!"

Mitsuko reached out and ruffled her little brother's hair. "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Ryo. He's my best friend from school," Masaru replied as he straightened his hair.

"Masaru, why don't you go get the project you were working on?" Mitsuko suggested.

Masaru smiled and ran up the stairs.

Jiro looked at Mitsuko. "What project?"

Mitsuko took him by the hand and led him to the living room. "He has a surprise for you." She went over to one of the windows and pulled open the brown curtains. Rain fell in torrents outside. "Oh, I almost forgot..."

"What?" Jiro asked, coming up behind her.

Mitsuko turned from the window to look at him. "The ceiling in tou-san's study sometimes leaks when it rains hard. We haven't had the chance to get it fixed."

Masaru came running into the living room. He was carrying Jiro's broken guitar. Where he previously had it taped it was now super-glued. He had a big smile on his face as he held it out to Jiro.

"I fixed it for you," Masaru said as Jiro carefully took it from him, "since that mean Saburo broke it."

Jiro sat down on the couch and gently strummed the strings. The fact that it had been shattered and glued together aside, the guitar was amazingly on pitch. Jiro played a scale and marveled at the instrument. He had forgotten how much he missed it.

Mitsuko smiled at Jiro as he began to play. Masaru had climbed onto the couch next to Jiro.

He kept playing as a knock sounded at the front door. Mitsuko left the room and walked down the hall to the entrance foyer. She opened the door and was met by a tall, dark haired young man. In a quiet, deep voice he asked, "Is Jiro here?"


	4. Chapter Four

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

  


By : Naki

  
  


Chapter Four

  
  
  
  


Mitsuko stood motionless in the doorway, looking at this strange man and wondering why on earth he would want to see Jiro. He'd just come back this morning, so she'd be damned if she was going to let him go again.

"What do you want with Jiro?" She demanded, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The stranger's dark hair was matted to his head from the rain and only his left eye was visible. He blinked as if he failed to understand the question. "I ask again: is Jiro here?"

Mitsuko went on the defensive. "I'm not going to tell you anything until you answer my question!" There was something about this man that made her feel, not just suspicious, but uneasy.

"I asked first."

"Get off my property before I call the police!" Mitsuko yelled. The man didn't flinch even as she slammed the door in his face. He didn't move; he just stood there, staring at the door.

"Bitchy, isn't she?"

The man turned around. "That is not polite."

Another young man, with dark, yet wild, hair, sat on the seat of a motorcycle out in the pouring rain. He had his arms crossed and a cheeky grin on his face. "Seems some of Jiro has rubbed off on you, Rei. At least you're talking more now."

Rei gave him his patented dead stare before turning back to the door and knocking again.

The other appeared next to Rei. "Look, man, why don't you just answer her question? I mean, it wouldn't hurt to tell her that Jiro's our brother."

Rei turned his head towards him. "You have a long way to mental maturity, Ichiro. Besides, I asked my question first."

Ichiro snorted. "And you just said I was the immature one! Listen to yourself. 'I asked my question first.' Man, you're stubborn."

Rei's stare had returned to the wide front door. "You're one to talk."

Ichiro's hands balled into fists and he shook one at Rei. "Hey!"

Just then the door opened again and Mitsuko glared at Rei. "Are you learning-impaired? I told you to leave!"

Ichiro, incensed by her tone, launched himself blindly into one of his rash episodes. Just as Mitsuko went to close, or rather, slam, the door again, he moved his hand and stopped the door by exerting his weight upon it.

"Hold on, lady! Look, we're not here to hurt Jiro! We've been looking for him for a long time, and would like to see him. We're not a threat. Now, is he here or not?"

Mitsuko took a step back from the doorway. She hadn't seen the second man and he had scared her. "H-How do I know you're not trying to trick me?"

"You're just going to have to trust us, of course."

Mitsuko stayed silent for a moment as she tried to decide whether or not these men were trustworthy. Just as she opened her mouth to announce her verdict, she heard the voice of her little brother coming up behind her.

"Mitsuko-neechan, who's at the door?" Masaru asked, looking around her. But before she could answer him, Jiro appeared from down the hall, coming up behind Masaru. His face was a picture of utter disbelief and shock.

Ichiro waved his hand excitedly at Jiro, a great grin on his face. "Jiro! Hey bro!"

"'Bro?'" Masaru repeated, looking up at Jiro.

Jiro remained silent for a moment, staring at the two men standing just outside the door. Once the shock settled, he found his voice once more. "I-Ichi-Ichiro?" He whispered. "Ichiro? Rei?" He said louder, his tone more in awe. "How...how can this be? You two were..." He didn't finish the sentence. Or the thought. He didn't want to. He knew what he had done to his brothers in the end.

"Yeah, I know," Ichiro went on, in his usual self, not missing a beat, "but that priest guy that Rei knows fixed us up. Nifty, huh?"

This whole situation was leaving Mitsuko feeling a bit unsettled. She turned to Jiro, not really knowing what to say. She settled on his name. "Jiro...?"

"These are my brothers, Mitsuko," he said, smiling brightly, which was very uncharacteristic of him. "They're just like me."

"Like you in what way?" Mitsuko asked.

"We're Kikaider models," Ichiro piped up. Mitsuko turned her head to the other side.

"You can trust them, Mitsuko." Jiro said, causing Mitsuko to turn her head back to him, leaving her feeling a bit dizzy. He still had a smile on his face, though now it was a bit toned down. "You can trust them. Though I can't promise that Ichiro won't wake you up in the middle of the night playing his trumpet."

"Whoa...you play the trumpet? Cool!" Masaru interjected from his spot half-behind Mitsuko.

Ichiro smirked down at him and it seemed like both Jiro and Rei could sense the characteristic feel of Ichiro's ego inflating. "That's right, kid. And pretty darn good at it, too."

"Not good, just loud," Rei said, brushing past Ichiro and into the foyer. He looked at Mitsuko. "If you have dry clothes, I'd be much obliged."

He was dripping water all over the floor like a pipe that had sprung a leak. Mitsuko allowed herself a small smile; this situation struck her as somewhat humorous. Ichiro joined his brother, shutting the front door behind him as he entered. The puddle on the floor doubled so that it looked as if both Ichiro and Rei were surrounded by a tiny moat.

"Wait here," Mitsuko instructed. "Masaru, you come to. I'll need an extra set of hands."

They left the trio alone. Jiro didn't know what to say. And, as usual, Ichiro was a veritable fountain of things to say. He was furious at Rei for that wisecrack.

"Rei! What was with that, huh? 'Not good, just loud?' What the hell is this, 'Crack on Ichiro Day?'"

Before Rei could respond (and no one could tell if he even was going to or not) Jiro interrupted, in one of his Ichiro-like slipups again.

"How can we not make fun of you? You're a walking target."

The look on Ichiro's face was, well, priceless. He had not expected that. What he had expected was that his question remain what he meant it to be: rhetorical. He had expected Rei to stay silent. The fact that Jiro answered threw him for a loop.

After a moment the mood became somber. Jiro still didn't know what to say, but he still wanted to address his brothers. He decided to wing it. "I...I can't believe you two are...well..." he trailed off, lost for the right word.

Ichiro smirked. "Can't say 'alive' can ya? Yep, it's just one of the million or so words that don't apply to us. It's a discriminate world, I tell ya."

"I think the word you're looking for is 'functional.'" Rei's voice was in its usual monotone, and it made him sound even more so like a machine. This struck an awkwardly humorous chord, and the two oldest chuckled dryly, while the youngest, to the surprise of the other two, managed a small smile.

As if on cue, Mitsuko returned with Masaru trailing behind her. She carried folded clothes and Masaru had several folded towels of varying colors.

"These are some of my father's old clothes. I'm fairly sure he'd have no problem if you two wore them for a while. Once you're dried off, put these on and I'll take your wet clothes and toss them in the dryer."

Mitsuko laid the clothes on the first step of the staircase.

Masaru took one towel and cocked his arm back. "Here, catch!" He threw it at Rei, who caught it. Then Masaru heaved another at Ichiro. Said android wasn't paying attention ('tis a rare occasion indeed that he truly does) and the towel struck him on the side of his head, wrapping around him and blocking his line of vision. When Masaru started to laugh, Ichiro spoke through the towel. "Hardy-har-har, kid," his voice was muffled. He pulled the towel off his head. "_Real_ funny."

Mitsuko decided that it was time to go when Ichiro decided to try to strip his shirt off and it stuck to him as he tried to pull it over his head. When it came to pass that he was stuck in that position, Jiro moved in to help and then Rei joined him as they attempted to figure out how to get it off Ichiro. When the trio finally managed to get the shirt off, Ichiro flung it on the floor in frustration, where it landed with a heavy, wet squish.

Mitsuko placed a hand on Masaru's back and steered him up the stairs.

"Where we goin', Mitsuko-neechan?"

"We're going to give them some privacy. It's not polite to watch someone get dressed."

"You used to watch me get dressed all the time, Mitsuko-neechan."

"I was _helping_ you get dressed, not _watching_ you. There's a big difference between the two."

Their voices faded as they topped the stairs and went down the hall.

"They are very...interesting," Rei commented.

Jiro replied with a small smile, "They're...my family."

Ichiro put his hands on his hips. "I thought Rei and I were your family, Jiro."

"You are," Jiro corrected. "But so are they."

Rei didn't add a comment, he simply peeled off his own shirt with ease and dropped it next to Ichiro's.

Speaking of the loud-mouthed eldest brother, Ichiro shook his head side-to-side wildly, spraying his brothers with water.

In response to this, Rei, not Jiro this time, gave Ichiro his rendition of the flat-eyed Luna look. _[see: Sailor Moon]_ He then spoke in a tone that was a dead monotone, his attempt at sarcasm. "Thank you." He squelched over to where the towels lie at the foot of the stairs.

Jiro looked from Rei to Ichiro. Ichiro's hair was now more poofed then it usually was. Jiro couldn't ignore the obvious humor just staring him straight in the face. He cracked a grin and laughed softly.

Ichiro went into defense mode and his one visible eye blazed. "What's so funny, _little_ brother?"

"It's just...you look like..." Jiro paused, thinking of the right thing to say. He heard the slight jingle of a bell in the distance and blurted out, "like a cat out of the dryer."

Ichiro cocked his head to one side, confusion replacing his anger. "The hell?" he said. He found the humor in the statement and tilted his head back. The foyer rang with his roaring laughter.

  


* * *

  


Author's Note: A big hallo to those of you who've gotten this far. Now there's only one more thing for you to do! You see that button on the bottom lefthand corner of the page? Just below this message? Click on it and leave me a nice, POSITIVE review! Thank you! Now, back to business. For those of you who have been following this story (and for those who follow my other works) visit my author page occasionally and you'll find updates at the bottom of the "bio" section. Arigatou! Ja ne!


	5. Chapter Five

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

By : Naki

Chapter Five

Once Ichiro and Rei were dry and dressed (Ichiro in a red flannel shirt and Rei in a plain white T-shirt) they found themselves sitting in the living room on the couch. Rei simply crossed his arms and stared straight ahead while Ichiro looked around, bored.

In the kitchen Mitsuko busied herself with making lunch for Masaru and herself. She wasn't sure where Masaru ran off, but Jiro stood in the kitchen, next to the refrigerator. He watched her. After placing a pot of water of the stovetop to boil, she turned to Jiro and crossed her arms.

"Are you mad, Mitsuko?" He asked.

"No," she replied. "Since you've decided to stay, however indefinite that may be, you're now considered a member of the household." _You've been part of the family nearly since the beginning,_ she thought. "And as part of the family, you're now required to entertain your guests. Those two," she pointed in the direction of the living room, "your brothers, are here to see _you_. And that makes them _your_ guests."

Jiro took a moment to digest this. "I still have a lot to learn. But I want to stay here with you, Mistuko."

"Jiro," Mitsuko said with a smirk. "We're going to be in the same _house_. It's not like we're going to be miles apart. The living room is right through that wall." Mitsuko knew he was being sweet and he wasn't even aware he was doing it. He was so brutally honest that it was hard to take sometimes and, on the same token, he couldn't tell a lie even if he wanted to. Even though she knew it was against his programming to lie, but there was that _something_ in his personality, a distinct trait, that made him detest lying. It made him all the more endearing.

As the pot of water began to boil, Mistuko opened the refrigerator and retrieved two eggs from the inside of the door and carefully placed them in the pot. She picked up a timer shaped like a rooster and twisted it to set a time. She set it on the back of the oven.

"What are you making?" Jiro asked, hovering behind her and peering over her shoulder.

"Tuna."

"Isn't that a fish?"

"Of course."

"But those are eggs." He pointed at the pot.

Mitsuko thrust her arm backwards and elbowed him lightly in the stomach. He backed up a bit. "Yes, they are eggs. You can put all sorts of things in tuna fish salad. I happen to like eggs in it." Mitsuko explained. She walked into the pantry and came back with a small can.

Jiro glanced about the kitchen and observed it more closely. It occured to him that he'd never been in this kitchen before. White walls, white ceiling, and white linoleum floor. The oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator were also white.

"Mitsuko?" Jiro asked.

"Yes?"

"Why is the room so white?"

"Um," Mitsuko paused from what she was doing and stared off into space, lost in thought. She was used to all these kind of questions. Jiro was a lot like Masaru in that fashion. "I heard somewhere that the color white makes a room appear larger than it really is."

"Oh." Jiro went back to observing. Mitsuko pulled a large ceramic bowl out of a cupboard and emptied the tuna into the bowl. She walked over to the fridge and retrieved a mayonnaise jar from the door. She tried to open the jar but found the lid was on too tight. Sighing, she thrust it at Jiro.

He simply looked at the jar. "Huh? Why are you giving the jar to me?"

Mitsuko blinked, having thought you intention was clear. "I can't open it."

"Why not?"

"The lid is on too tight. I'm not strong enough."

"Alright." Jiro hesitatingly took the jar from her.

"You'll need to turn it clockwise, like the direction the arms of a clock take." Mitsuko pointed at the plain circular white clock on the wall and she traced it circumference in the air.

Jiro focused on the motion of the thin red second hand as it ticked around the clock. He then looked down at the jar in his left hand. _Easy enough._ He gripped the metal lid tightly and turned it hard, expecting the lid to pop off in his hand. Unfortunately for Jiro fate had a way of painfully pointing out that he still had much to learn. For instance, he shouldn't grip a glass jar so tight...

The lid did come off in his hand and it immediately crumpled; the jar didn't fare much better. It shattered and flung mayonnaise all over both of them.

There was a moment of shock and then Mitsuko blinked. In a situation such as this she would have usually gotten irritated but, looking at Jiro who was gazing forlornly at the shattered remains of the jar with a glob of mayonnaise hanging on the tip of his nose, Mitsuko couldn't help but giggle. He looked so much like Charlie Brown standing next to the sad little tree that was bent over by the giant red ornament ball and saying, "I killed it." Mitsuko tore a paper towel off a roll next to the sink and carefully wiped his nose off.

"You need to be a little more careful with glass jars, Jiro."

"I'm trying."

"I know you are, but you need to try a little harder."

"Okay."

"Hey, what's going on?"

Jiro and Mitsuko turned to see Ichiro standing in the doorway that led into the hall. He cocked an eyebrow when he saw a small glob of mayonnaise that stood out like a neon sign in Jiro's dark hair. "Wait...don't tell me you tried to cook, Jiro."

Jiro motioned with the hand that held the broken jar and flung mayonnaise onto the far counter. "I don't know the first thing about cooking."

Mitsuko bit her lip to keep from saying what had just run through her head. _Jiro would probably burn the house down if he tried to cook!_

"Oh, really?" Ichiro sounded doubtful and looked pointedly at his brother.

"I was just..." he held up the jar, "just opening the jar for Mitsuko."

Ichiro smirked and looked at the tattered remains of the jar in Jiro's hand. "Yes, and I see you did a wonderful job at that as well."

Mitsuko reached around Jiro and carefully extracted the broken jar from his grip. "I, uh, I think there's enough left to use. And..." she pulled a hand towel out of a drawer next to the sink, "you can clean up this mess."

As Jiro took the towel from Mitsuko, Ichiro decided the time was ripe to add his two-cents worth in. "Hah! See, this is why I avoid the kitchen. Hope you enjoy cleaning. At least I don't have to."

Mitsuko whirled about, her eyes flashing dangerously. Ichiro took a step back. "Nobody gets off scot-free in this household, buddy. One more word out of you, and you'll be out mowing the lawn in the rain! You get me?"

Ichiro emitted a sound that sounded suspiciously like "Eep!" and tore off like a scalded cat. Jiro just stood there, towel in hand, staring at her in surprise at the way she'd snapped at Ichiro.

"Whoa, Mitsuko-neechan!"

She turned to see Masaru and Rei standing in the doorway at the opposite end of the kitchen. Rei's blank eye surveyed her and he said matter-of-factly, "Hell hat no fury like a woman's scorn."

-- -- --

About an hour later, lunch was over, and Mitsuko, Jiro, Ichiro, and Rei all sat at the dining room table idly conversing. Mitsuko had in front of her a small notepad on which she was writing a grocery list for the next day.

"Mitsuko-neechan?"

She turned. "Yes?"

Masaru poked his head into the room. "Can I go check the mail?"

"Okay. Just be careful. And put on your raincoat. Masaru!" Mitsuko jumped up as she heard the front door creak open, knowing that he hadn't put it on. She hurried down the hall, threw on her long pink raincoat and grabbed Masaru's little yellow one from the hook on the wall. She stepped out onto the porch and scowled at Masaru as he made his way down the long driveway dodging raindrops.

"Ma--" Mitsuko began but was cut off when the ground shook suddenly and violently. Mitsuko swayed on her feet and fell forward, catching herself on the support column next to the porch steps.

"Mitsuko!" Jiro called, running forward. He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Just as Ichiro and Rei came out to investigate, the ground lurched again, knocking Masaru off his feet.

"Masaru!" Mitsuko called. She attempted to run to him, but Jiro kept a tight grip on her. Just then the sound of a person whistling a hauntingly familiar melody reached Jiro's ears. He gasped.

Behind him Ichiro grabbed his head and screamed, thrashing himself from side to side.

"Ichiro!" Jiro exclaimed. "Fight it!"

Beside Ichiro Rei grunted and gripped his heand with a hand. He silently resisted as his face contorted and the iris of his one visible eye turned a menacing shade of red. 

"No..." Jiro muttered as he steered Mitsuko behind him in an effort to protect her. As Ichiro took a step towards them Jiro felt the blind rage coming from the interaction between the submission circuit and his Gemini build up inside him, threatening once more to take him over. He balled his hands into fists. No. He was _never_ going to show that side to Mitsuko. Not ever. He stepped backwards, forcing her to retreat further back.

"Brothers!" Jiro pleaded. "I don't want to fight you!"

Ichiro dove towards Jiro, madly swinging his fists. Jiro caught his brother's fist and pushed him away and into Rei.

"Jiro!" Mitsuko called.

Ichiro turned his attention from Jiro to Mitsuko. He then dove for the space between his brother and the porch railing to get to her. Jiro stopped him and threw a punch that connected with Ichiro's face and threw him to the porch floor. Then Rei came at him. Jiro pressed his hands against Rei's chest to stop him. As they struggled Jiro looked over his shoulder at Mitsuko. "Run!"

Mitsuko nodded and ran around towards the back of the house. Ichiro jumped to his feet and went after her, cutting her path off by landing in front of her.

"Mitsuko, no!" Jiro called frantically after hearing her short scream. Rei took advantage of this brief distraction and punched Jiro with enough force that Jiro flew backwards through the porch railing and onto the lawn, where he laid motionless on his back. He heard Mitsuko scream a second time. It was then Jiro made a split second decision between his brothers and the woman he loved. A decision between the brothers he had bonded with and the woman who had captured his heart and nurtured it into emotional maturity. A decision between the brothers who could be and have been rebuilt and the woman who was human and couldn't be rebuilt. A decision that was hard to make and yet so easy at the same time.

Jiro screamed wordlessly from his position on the ground, catching the attention of Rei on the porch and Ichiro pursuing Mitsuko. Ichiro turned, released Mitsuko, and left her gasping for breath on the ground. Jiro's eyes narrowed as he balled his hands into fists and then activated his switches. First his left shoulder and then his right.

"Switch on!"

* * *

Author's Note: Heya minna-san! First off, I owe you guys a BIG apology for making you wait 6 months for this chapter. It wasn't writer's block, it was just I knew what I wanted out of this chapter, but I didn't have any drive to write. It all started last Sunday (May 23) when I discovered the Kikaider 01 DVD at the BX after work. I was like "Dude! No way!" I began to have this slight nostalgic feeling. I hadn't seen all four episodes of Kikaider 01 and I hadn't realized how much license I was taking with Rei. That's another thing entirely. Rei, in total, had less than an episode of airtime. I swear, Rei is the most underdeveloped character in any anime I have ever seen. They seriously gave him the short end of the stick. Well, anyway, here was Chapter 5. Keep watching (or reading ) for Chapter 6: The Return of Kikaider!


	6. Chapter Six

Android Kikaider -The Animation- : **Gemini**

By : Naki

Chapter Six

Mitsuko lay on the ground; her eyes closed and she was massaging her bruised neck. The grass was cool and damp against her skin as she felt the rain pick up. Heavy raindrops fell onto her face causing her to open her eyes. She turned her eyes to see both Ichiro and Rei ganging up on Kikaider.

"Jiro..." she rasped out.

Kikaider was holding up rather well considering he was outnumbered two-to-one. He dodged and deflected his brothers' attacks. It was obvious that his heart really wasn't into fighting his brothers, but...Mitsuko noticed that he seemed to be fighting something other than his brothers...perhaps something on the inside.

Kikaider took a punch to the face and a kick to the gut that sent him sprawling on his back. Attempting to sit up he almost saw stars exploding in front of his vision and his head swam. He barely heard Masaru call out to him.

"Jiro-niichan!"

Rei turned his head slowly to the direction from which the new voice came. His glowing red eye stared at Masaru, causing the small boy to quake with fear. Rei took two slow steps towards the boy as Kikaider rolled onto his side to get to his feet.

"Dammit!" He swore. "Masaru! Run! Get away!"

Rei quickened his steps to a slow run and then to a straight out dash. Just before he was upon Masaru a blur rushed by Jiro, scooped Masaru up and rolled away. The blur turned out to be a young woman; she was barefoot, wearing a torn blue dress, and had black hair that was down to her backside. She was on her knees, holding Masaru against her, and staring over her shoulder at Rei. Her eyes were frightened but at the same time defiant. It was as if she were saying, _How dare you target a child. Only a coward would..._

Rei emitted a small gasp and blinked at the woman several times. With each blink his eye returned to its normal dark brown. He turned to see Ichiro face-plant Kikaider into the ground. Rei shook his head at Kikaider. "You never learn, do you?" He said quietly. He took one last look over his shoulder at the woman who was still glaring at him. He turned back to the fight. "I guess I have to bail him out again. Change! Double-O!"

Just as Rei reverted to 00, Ichiro was upon Kikaider once more. 00 dashed towards Ichiro and rammed his shoulder into Ichiro's torso, knocking him to the ground. Standing over his older brother, 00 reached out with his hand and his fingertips changed into guns. They cocked.

"Ichiro."

Stare.

"Ichiro."

Defiant stare. "Shoot me."

Blank stare. "Make me."

"Coward."

"Oh, am I?"

"If you weren't you would have shot me by now."

"Bite me."

"Get bent."

"Been there."

"Done that."

Kikaider was busy looking from brother to brother, totally shocked with the running exchange. This was so out of character for Rei. He was _arguing_ with Ichiro. Kikaider shook his head, exasperated. It looked as if Ichiro wasn't just affecting him but Rei as well.

The young woman who was cradling Masaru against her gasped suddenly at something that shot out of the undergrowth from the trees nearby. "Look out!"

A tentacle shot between Kikaider and 00 and wrapped about Ichiro's ankle, catapulting him into the air.

"Oh ho! I don't think so, you moron!" Ichiro growled, spinning his body before pulling against the tentacle to propel himself upwards, striking the tentacle with his foot. It severed and Ichiro plummeted to the ground. Before he touched down he crossed his hands over his face.

"Change! Zero-One!"

Just as 01 landed a giant snake-like creature slithered out of the forest. 01 cocked his head to the side and critiqued it. He then grinned maniacally and rubbed his hands together. "Ooo! Fun!"

"Brother!" Kikaider called to no avail. He shrugged at 00. "Shall we join him?"

In answer 00 pushed off against the ground and flew towards the beast. He didn't get far before tentacles whipped out towards him. 00 dodged but got no closer. 01 laughed and held out his left arm. His blue hand clicked down on its hinge and he let fly an energy blast that took off many of the tentacles close to its...um...head? "Is that what that is?" 01 wondered aloud, a finger absentmindedly scratching at his face. He immediately jumped to avoid a tentacle from further down its body. Behind him Kikaider jumped in, his forearms crossed and glowing green.

With a yell Kikaider sliced down its length, stopping just before its tail. He was forced to jump back to where 01 and 00 stood.

"Way to go bro!" 01 pumped his fist in the air. Then, _"Eh?!"_

The beast seemingly healed itself, forming two from the split one. There were now two "heads" connected with one tail. More tentacles sprouted from the new doppelganger.

Kikaider cringed. "Not good."

"Man," 01 whined. "The damn thing's like the Hydra. You chose the wrong head, Jiro!"

Kikaider turned to his older brother. "How could I? There was only one!"

01 motioned to the two-headed beast but kept his face on Kikaider. "Yeah, well, now there's two! How are we supposed to destroy it now?"

00 had the answer. "Move."

01 and Kikaider moved back. 01 had a childish grin on his face. "Yay! Fireworks!"

00 stepped up to the beast, tentacles flailing around him. He looked up to the twin heads. "Blow up."

-- -- --

The young woman still held Masaru to her as she made her way to Mitsuko. The massive explosion from 00 rocked the ground and cause her to stumble, but she kept her footing.

"Are you all right?" She asked as she crouched down. Mitsuko had managed to sit up but she was still holding her throat.

"I thought I was going to die," Mitsuko gasped.

"No!" Masaru exclaimed. "You can't die Mitsuko-neechan! You're all I have!"

"Don't worry," Mitsuko brought her hand up and tousled Masaru's hair. "I won't die intentionally. Not with Jiro here to protect me." She looked to the young woman. "I thank you for protecting Masaru."

The young woman smiled. "I didn't even think when I was doing it. I guess you could call it maternal instinct."

"Maternal instinct?" Masaru asked.

"A mother's desire to protect her child," Mitsuko explained.

"Perhaps you shouldn't talk so much," the woman advised. "It might not be good for you right now."

Mitsuko nodded.

"Hey," Masaru said, looking up at the woman. "What's your name?"

She was silent for a moment, looking pensive. "Angel. For now, anyways."

"Mitsuko!" The Kikaider brothers walked up, back in their more "human" state. Jiro came up and helped her to her feet. He saw the bruising on her neck and hugged her. Ichiro's usually happy face was the opposite. He scratched at the back of his head.

"Uh…listen. I'm sorry about that."

Jiro turned around with Mitsuko still in his arms. Rei turned to Ichiro as well, eyebrow raised.

"What?" Ichiro demanded of Rei.

"Developing a conscience, Ichiro?"

The older brother proved his immaturity by sticking his tongue out at Rei. "As if. I didn't even have control over my own body. I felt like a damn marionette."

"Ichiro!" Jiro admonished.

"What!"

"Language."

"Hmph. Sorry."

"Right." Rei said flatly, walking past them.

"And where are you going?" Ichiro demanded.

"Inside."

-- -- --

About ten minutes later all six were dry, warm, and comfortable inside the Komyoji house. Ichiro and Rei had changed back into their usual clothes. Mitsuko had changed as well and so had Angel. She was wearing some of Mitsuko's own clothes, at Mitsuko's insistence.

Masaru had taken Jiro by the hand and steered him into the kitchen.

"Uh…Masaru, I don't think this is such a good idea. Remember what happened last time…?"

"Oh, shush, you big baby." (_Big baby?_ thought Jiro.) "We're just going to make Mitsuko-neechan and Angel-neesan some soup. Relax, it's instant."

* * *

Author's Notes: There's only one real reason that Chapter 6 came out so fast. I wanted to get some words out of a few reviewers.

To _Tenniyo_: Wai! huggle Thanks for sticking up for me. It's comforting to know that not all people are stuck on themselves. And I'm also real touched that you'd plug "Gemini" into your story. (Tell me which one it is please!)

To _Aknol_: Thanks for pointing that out! It never occurred to me that the cat's name was the same as the bad guys in the OVA. You see, Shadow (Masaru's cat) is _my_ cat. I just plugged my own cat into the story. Not very original but those who don't know me personally would have never guessed it. If you want to see Shadow, please see my author page for the link.

To _BlackyGirl_: The one big problem I had with the release of Chapter Five was you, I'm afraid. I consider your review to borderline flaming. I'll take constructive cricticism anytime but I do not and will not accept threats and accusations. I HAVEN'T and WILL NEVER purposefully torment my readers (or anyone for that matter) by waiting half a year to post. I'm also appalled at your inconsideration to other people's feelings by being so self-absorbed. So what if I haven't "felt like" writing? If you're an author yourself you'd know that if you force yourself to write it comes out like crap. There were many reasons why I haven't felt like writing. Over the past six months I 'd been overwhelmed by college, work, and taking my dad to the hospital to combat his cancer. If you had paid any attention to my author page (where I leave updates at the bottom of my "bio" section) you would have known that at the end of March my dad passed away. I don't know about you but I was very close to my father and for a while I couldn't do anything but grieve. Writing tends to become difficult at times like that. I'm sorry if this offends you but you offended me first by not considering the reasons behind my lateness in posting.

To everyone else: I apologize to those of you who this does not pertain to but I just got so upset I had to acknowledge it. I will not deny that when I read BlackyGirl's review the "B-word" initially came to mind but I will not resort to name-calling. I thank everyone for their support and positive words during the duration of this fic. I also thank everyone for their _patience_. Patience is something I have little of, especially for those who are inconsiderate of others' feelings. If you have a question as to why I'm so late in posting or just simply want to talk email me anytime (please see my author page for my email address. It won't let me post it here)


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